Fiat
The average car buyer can be forgiven if the Fiat brand hardly registers as a blip on his or her radar screen. Despite the fact that the Italian manufacturer has expanded its lineup from the original 500 subcompact to include a total of 5 body styles, American buyers have been staying away from Fiat "studios" in droves – much to the dismay of dealers.
Sales peaked in 2014, when dealers moved a total of 46,121vehicles off their lots. With the economy continuing to expand with record sales in 2016, fueled by America's new love for pickup trucks and crossover vehicles, just 33,777 new Fiats found homes.
To help stem the tide of falling sales, Fiat is taking a page from the playbooks of its sister brands – Jeep and Ram – by introducing a new trim package for the 2017 model year.
2017 Fiat 500X Urbana Edition
Based on the mid-trim Trekking model, the Urbana eschews any engine and suspension changes, concentrating instead on a handful of interior and exterior trim tweaks.
Available in gray, white and black exterior colors, checking off the Urbana package gets you black-finished outside rearview mirror caps, door handles, tail light and headlight surrounds, liftgate bezel, and front and rear lower fascias. Side sill moldings are also finished in black and feature a copper-accented 500X logo that matches the center cap of the 18-inch matte Miron black wheels. Topping it all off, literally, are a pair of black side roof rails.
Interior changes include black Castiglio chevron-patterned fabric seats with copper embroidered 500 logos, a black instrument panel sporting yet another copper 500 logo, a black-painted center console, and black Miron-finished radio and dashboard vent bezels.
2017 Fiat 500X Urbana pricing and availability
Arriving at Fiat dealers this fall, the Urbana Edition is priced at $845 over a comparable Trekking model, and is available in both front-wheel-drive (base price $25,040) and all-wheel-drive (base price $25,090) configurations (both prices include a $995 destination charge).
Additional packages and options include a $1,295 Advanced Safety Package (automatic headlights, blind spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning, lane keep assist and lane departure warning, rear parking sensors, and rain-sensitive windshield wipers), a $995 Popular Equipment Package (rear view camera, dual automatic climate control), $995 for a panoramic sunroof and Beats audio system, $895 for a Uconnect 6.5 infotainment system with a larger touchscreen (6.5 inches versus 5 inches) and navigation, and $450 for a Cold Weather Package ((heated front seats and steering wheel, windshield wiper de-icer).
The 2017 500X Urbana Edition can currently be configured on the FiatUSA.com website and will be available at Fiat dealers this fall.
